Scandinavian journal of primary health care
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Mar 2023
The role of primary care in the cancer care continuum: a qualitative study of cancer survivors' experiences.
To explore how cancer survivors have experienced their contacts with primary care after being diagnosed with cancer, focusing on the integration between cancer specialist and primary care, and participants' views on what could make primary care services better at catering to the needs of cancer survivors. ⋯ The study suggests that cancer survivors experience a range of issues that hinders primary care services from playing a productive role in the cancer care process. The results speak for a need for interventions to remove barriers to satisfactory primary care contacts in this group of patients.KEY POINTSThe growing number of cancer survivors highlights the role of primary care services in the cancer care continuum.Despite the presence of unmet needs, few cancer survivors felt that primary care services had been significant to their care.Survivors identified a number of barriers to satisfactory primary care, including lacking coordination and communication between cancer and primary care.Strengthened links between healthcare services, privileged access, and holistic perspectives were suggested to improve primary care delivery for cancer survivors.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Mar 2023
Older patients' experiences of access to and use of e-consultations with the general practitioner in Norway: an interview study.
To explore older patients' experiences with accessing and using e-consultations to send text-based clinical inquiries to the general practitioner (GP) online. ⋯ Information about e-consultations and guidelines for suitable use are recommended to ensure equal access to all patients, regardless of their digital health literacy. Availability problems and high work burdens for the GPs could affect the patients' choice for using e-consultations. If e-consultations are used for triage purposes, caution should be taken to avoid a shift in workload from the health secretary to the GP.Key points of articleThe extended use of e-consultations with the general practitioner has raised concerns that the service may not be accessible and suitable for older patients.For older users, e-consultations can represent a positive addition to physical consultation forms due to the high availability of the service in a general practice setting characterised by long waiting times.Digital health literacy is essential to learn about and use the service. Information about the service and how to use it should be available to all patients to ensure equal access.A trusting relationship with the GP is described as essential for older patients to perceive the outcome of e-consultations as appropriate and safe.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Mar 2023
Experiences and management strategies of Norwegian GPs during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal interview study.
When the COVID-19 pandemic reached Norway, primary health care had to reorganize to ensure safe patient treatment and maintain infection control. General practitioners (GPs) are key health care providers in the municipalities. Our aim was to explore the experiences and management strategies of Norwegian GPs during the COVID-19 pandemic - over time, and in the context of a sudden organizational change. ⋯ Although our study demonstrates that the GPs adapted to the changing conditions, the current municipal health care models are not ideal. There is a need for clarification of responsibilities between GPs and the municipality to facilitate a more coordinated future pandemic response.Key PointsFacing the COVID-19 pandemic, the primary health care service in Norway had to reorganize to ensure safe patient treatment and maintain infection control.Several GPs experienced challenges in collaboration with the municipalities.There is a need for clarification of responsibilities between GPs and the municipality.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Mar 2023
Danish general practitioners as gatekeepers for gynaecological patients in regions with different density of resident specialists in gynaecology: in which situations and to whom do they refer? A cross-sectional study.
There are large differences in the density of Resident Specialists in Gynaecology (RSG) in the various regions of Denmark. It is unknown if this inequality affects the General Practitioner (GP) referral patterns of gynaecological patients. ⋯ To allow patients' equal access to specialist care, the density of RSGs must be equal all over the country.
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Scand J Prim Health Care · Mar 2023
Prescription of potentially addictive medications after a multilevel community intervention in general practice.
To evaluate the long-term effects of a multilevel community intervention to improve the quality of prescription practice of potentially addictive medications (PAMs). ⋯ Addressing prescription practice among GPs in a community as a joint intervention, combined with addressing patients and the public may be a feasible method to obtain long-term reduction of PAM prescriptions.Key pointsNon-therapeutic prescriptions of potentially addictive medications (PAMs) are both a public health concern and a frequent challenge in general practice.A multilevel community intervention, targeting general practitioners, patients, and the public, led to 27% reduction in prescription of PAMs.Both the number of daily users and concomitant use of several PAMs were reduced.The reduction in prescription persisted for three years.